Story+1978-12-31+Cleveland,+OH

“(Kid Leo: ‘Happy New Year! … Well, almost, but I, I do think we have a lock on it, I mean look how we’re gonna bring it in, uh? We have had the pleasure of uh, having the two main men come into town in the span of one week. Last week it was Santa Claus, this week, it’s The Boss (cheers) . . . Now, I don’t know if that fat man with the red jacket brought you anything you wanted but tonight you’re gonna get everything on your list – the New Year’s Eve party of parties, your host with the most, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band (cheers)’). . . Alright! (chuckles). . . Are you ready? (chuckles). . . Let’s go … 1, 2. . .”
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro to ‘Badlands’:**

“Oh … How’s everybody been, huh? (cheers)....alright....got cold here....this next song..... this song hasn’t been, we haven’t recorded it but....we’ve been doing it for about, I guess a couple of years now.....and it’s been out on some bootlegs and stuff (chuckles) ....it’s called, uh.....it’s called ‘Rendezvous’....this for Joyce, Happy New Year, baby....”
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro to ‘Rendezvous’: **

“Alright, how many drunks we got out there tonight? (cheers)....that’s what I was afraid of....this is for you....
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro & after ‘Spirit in the Night’: **

(…) You messed up my good clothes. . .”

(long pause)....it ain’t even 10 o’clock yet.... alright....this is for Matty [DiLea from Town & Country Cycle]. . . and Eddie and Tony. . . here’s ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’....”
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro to ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’:**

“Wanna thank you guys that are always stealing those street signs (chuckles).... my house looks like....crossroads of the world by now (laughs)....it’s the, it’s the map of the United States (chuckles)...Bruce Road....Bruce Drive....my mother must’ve named that street....here’s a song....that uh...wasn’t on Darkness on the Edge of Town, I wrote it around the same time.....this is for uh.....this is for everybody that just left home this year, this is called ‘Independence Day’.....”
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro to ‘Independence Day’:**

“(Some loud cheering) … I didn’t do nothin’ yet. . . (chuckles) … Alright, this is for you guys, alright … this is Promised Land
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro to ‘The Promised Land’:**

“Now, this is the last chance you got this year to prove it all night. . . See what you can do. . . This is for everybody waaay up high on the mountain back there. ..
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro & after ‘Prove It All Night’: **

(…) Roy Bittan on the piano. . . Mighty Max on the drums. . . Danny on the organ. . .”

“I already got it. . . Next time....bring a new muffler, all right? (chuckles)....I plant these on the bus.... Oh! that was a joke (chuckles)...here’s a song.....we used to do this song....I guess when we first started coming to town here (cheers)...and....we used to play, what was the name of that theatre we used to play at owntown?....What?.... ah, the Allen Theatre, right (cheers)...we used to do this down there so we’re gonna break it out tonight.... alright....(to the band : ‘Pretty Flamingo’, alright … 1,2 1,2)....(music starts). . . I’d stand … all night (band down). . . Give me 2 (Max hits drums twice). . . ‘My baby’. . . I used to live....I grew up in this town called Freehold, New Jersey (cheers)....right? (chuckles)....it was a pretty small town, I used to live in this....in this house that was like on the main drag in town, it was a street called South Street. . . and every day....in the summertime me and Steve used to sit out on the porch.....and every day about 5 o’clock.....there’d be this girl that would walk home from downtown.....I think she must, she must’ve worked at one of the office buildings downtown ‘cause she’d always walk home past my house... so me and Steve, we used to sit out there....for the first few days, we watched her....then for the next few days.....we watched her some more....that’s all we used to do was watch her ‘cause we were too nervous to go up and say anything to her....so we used to try to devise these ways of getting her attention...we saved up all our money, I remember the first guitar I bought, I bought it in a Western Auto store.....went down-town ....bought it for 18 bucks....came home. . . a few weeks later when she came walking by on the other side of the street, I was sitting out on the porch and playing the guitar....trying to act cool, you know (chuckles)(cheers)....but she never blinked, she never even used to look our way.....we knew she was tough when Clarence..... who we didn’t know at the time.....came riding by on his bicycle....playing a saxophone....with no hands (chuckles)(cheers)...anyway....we never did get up the nerve to go up and find out what her name was so I moved away.....that’s the kinda guy, what am I to do? (chuckles)(cheers)....but we had this name for her, I’ll tell you guys, alright (chuckles)....Big Man, remember that name?....
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, Ohio, intro to ‘Pretty Flamingo’: **

(....) Big Man....sometimes I think about going back there, you know.....you think she’s still there?.....Steve, you think she still lives in town?.....maybe she does....I used to think....I used to think about going back there, you know....and like carrying all my records with me (chuckles).....you know...I’d bump into her on the street...go Oops, excuse me, Miss.....I dropped my records’ (chuckles)....eh....I don’t think she’s the kinda girl that cares about that kinda stuff.....she’s probably gone anyway so.....she sure looked good (giggles)....Pretty Flamingo...”

“Save that thing, save it (giggles)....this is for all the heartbreakers out there (chuckles) .....come on Roy, ‘Thunder Road’....”
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro to ‘Thunder Road’:**

“Thank you … This is a brand new song, it’s called The Ties That Bind. . . ah 1, 2, 3, 4 (Max starts). . . Help me out (to crowd) … 1 ... 2 … 3 … 4 … (band kicks in). . .”
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, after ‘The Ties That Bind’: **

“How’d Santa Claus treat you guys, huh? (cheers)....alright ? Did you get everything you wanted? (cheers)....almost (chuckles)....gotta save some stuff for next year... anyway....it was back in 1969 ....me and Steve, we were working in this little bar down in Asbury Park (cheers)....it was a block off the beach, it was a bar called The Student Prince, it was on Kingsley Avenue....and I remember.....(giggles) where’d you guys make that? In wood shop? (laughs)....cue cards? (Bruce stops and looks at whatever it was). . . this is not the place (chuckles)....anyway, it was 3 a.m. in the morning.....we were sitting around.....we were moaning at each other because....we didn’t have no money, we didn’t have no girlfriends, it was Christmas Eve.....I said ‘Steve, I make a deal with you....I won’t buy you a present if you don’t buy me no present....yeah?...alright’.....that’s one less present we gotta get....so that night....we went walking home....figured we’d go home ....put the Pop Tarts in the toaster....get some peanut butter and jelly (cheers)....we know how to live (chuckles)....but we said ‘Man, some Christmas Eve this is....we got no girlfriends, we got no money....I don’t, I don’t believe in none of that stuff anyway.... that Santa Claus stuff, man, that....that don’t go...I think he died....I think he fell out of his sled over Newark (chuckles)....fell down and got mugged....I don’t know....but just in case....that night....I put what I wanted....under my pillow on a little piece of paper.....we went to sleep....we always slept standing up with our guitar on (cheers).... gotta be ready, gotta be ready all the time....it’s a tough business (chuckles)....then about 5.30....we heard some scratching up on the roof...who could that be? (cheers) .... we figured for sure....it was somebody trying to get in to steal our guitars (chuckles) ....but we climbed up there......and there he was over by the chimney.... trying to stuff my Christmas present into the chimney.....a ‘57 Chevy....with a brunette in the front-seat (cheers)....he was having a tough time....I said ‘Steve..... Steve....Is that?....is that? ...is that?....is that? (?)....
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, Ohio, intro to ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’: **

(…) See, Steve.....I told you......(music ends)(cheers) You guys must’ve got what you wanted....”

“This is a Kid Leo special, this is for the Kid....”
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro to ‘The Fever’:**

“(Bruce picking at guitar) Ho! Ho! . . . I’m getting excited! (chuckles)....it’s getting there! (chuckles)(cheers)....ooh! (giggles) ....alright now, right now, ladies and gentlemen....this is for all the Cleveland girls (cheers)...this is ‘Fire’....”
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro to ‘Fire’: **

“It’s getting near that time.....5,4,3,2,1, Happy New Year!, kiss your girlfriend!.... (a firecracker explodes near Bruce’s eye – you can hear it & then 2 more!). . . Well, I almost lost my eye thanks to some asshole...but that ain’t gonna ruin my New Year and I hope it don’t ruin yours. . . (chuckles). . . best of 1979 to you all....you guys...this is been a great town for us.....you’ve always treated us fantastic....I just wanna let you know that we appreciate it very much.... alright, let’s go....
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro to ‘Rave On’: **

(....) It’s a good thing it only happens once a year.....”

“Hey, Big Man.....give us the specialty.....Big Man took a one-week course at the Guy Lombardo Saxophone Institute for this next number....”
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro to ‘Auld Lang Syne’: **

“(Off mic) … Good Rockin’ Tonight … a-1, 2, 3, 4. . .”
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro to ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight’: **

“(Steve: ‘Bruce is, you know....if anybody saw the cat that threw that firecracker, man....almost took his fucking eye out, you know....’) Now, I asked everybody ‘cause I’ve seen people hurt at shows with firecrackers before....you know and uh....and I’ll ask again because we’re gonna be here tomorrow night and this is been, uh, you guys have always been great in this town, [Sound shifts off soundboard to audience source for rest of intro] we love coming here and we love playing here.... that’s why we came on New Year’s Eve....and the only thing I ask is that people don’t do stuff to hurt other people and to hurt themselves and hurt me and whoever else is up here ‘cause we came here to play (cheers)....some rock and roll for you and you guys paid your money so if you come, so, you could sit and listen without being afraid of getting hurt or blown up or whatever....so if anybody, if anybody SEES anybody throwing stuff or anybody, you know....like, you know. . . it could have been, it could have been a lot worse, but. . . just tell somebody so we get ‘em out. man, and if you wanna throw something...we’ll give you your money back and you can throw it outside, you know, it’s like you can do whatever you want (cheers). . . we don’t, I don’t want nobody throwing that FUCKIN’ SHIT in here....you know, it can hurt, you know people that care about _____ _____ stuff people. . . ”
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, Ohio, intro to ‘Point Blank’: **

“ . . . Wait a minute! . . . Big Man! . . . Now, dig this. . . I call her up. . . She ain’t home. . . I go by her house. . . She ain’t home. . . I send her a letter. . . I get no reply. . . I wanna lay down. . . and die. . . I drive by her house. . . when it’s real late. . . I see two silhouettes. . . on the window shade. . . I don’t wanna know. . . and that’s when. . . I GET MAD! . . . like Al Capone. . . I GET MAD! . . . like Smokin’ Joe. . . I GET MAD! . . . like Machine Gun Kelly (Max rapid fires a real long series of drum hits). . . I GET MAD! . . . like. . . Popeye! . . . He gets mad! . . . Now, sometimes,. . . I get so mad. . . How mad? … (Crowd: ‘How mad?’). . . I get so mad. . . I just wanna. . . I just. . . I just wanna. . . I just feel like I gotta. . . I just wanna. . . (band stops). . . I just feel like I gotta. . . I just wanna. . . I mean if I don’t, I just. . . I mean, I just. . . I mean, I just. . . I mean I just feel like if I don’t, I ... I mean I just ... I just … I just … I just … I just … I just. . . I just don’t know. . .”
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, “I GET MAD!” in ´She’s The One':**

“This is for all the guys, that brought their girlfriend with them tonight. . . Not too many of you guys out there, right? (chuckles) ... _____ it tough for the _____ _____. . . (Sung intro begins). . . ah, come back, baby, come back. . . at night, my arms, they crrry, for you. . . ah, commme back, baby, come back. . . at night my heart, it dies for you. . . yeah, I promise, … oh, I promise ... I will never never, NEVER never, NEVER never, NEVER never … make you blue. . . I promise … I will NEVER never, NEVER never, NEVER never … make you blue. . . dry your EYES little girl. . . (?) no tears fallin’ tonight. . . dry your pretty EYES little girl. . . listen darling, listen darling … there’ll be no tears fallin’ tonight. . . Now, I will never never make you sad. . . Now, I will never never make you blue. . . and we’ll go runnin’. . . . we’ll go runnin’. . . back out along the highways. . . back down along the _____ _____. . . down the alleys. . . and I will never never make you blue. . . and I will never never make you blue. . . down … down to the backstreets. ..
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, OH, intro & middle of ´Backstreets':**

(…) . . . Just me and you, baby....just me and you, girl.....and I remember even back then....and I remember even back then....I remember back then I swore that for you, I’d drive all night anytime anyplace, that for you, I’d drive all night anytime anyplace, that for you, I’d drive all night through the wind, through the rain, through the snow just.....just to buy you some shoes .....just to check you out.....just to kiss that pretty face.....just to taste your tender charms.... and just to sleep....just to sleep....in your arms....baby, maybe you wasn’t even listening.... maybe you wasn’t even listening....but I remember you promised that you’d never go anyplace without me, you swore that you’d never go anyplace without me, you promised that you’d never leave without me, you swore that you’d never leave without me.....and like everything else and everybody else from back then, you promised and baby, you lied....baby, you lied....baby, you lied....baby, you lied....little girl, you lied.....so, now you’ve come back, so, now you’ve come back.....and so, now you’ve come back.....well, just what makes you think that it’s so easy....just what makes you think.....that it’s so easy....just to stop, to stop, to stop, to stop, to stop, to stop, to stop, to stop, to stop, to stop, to stop, to stop, to STOP! ....”

“Wherever you may be....on this New Year’s night....Rosie....alright. ..
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, intro, band intros & outro to ‘Rosalita’:**

(…) on the piano, professor Roy Bittan. . . on the guitar, Miami Steve Van Zandt. . . on the bass guitar, Mr. Garry W. Tallent. . . on the drums, The Mighty Max. . . on the organ, Mr. Dan Federici. . . and last but not least. . . faster than a speeding bullet. . . more powerful than a locomotive. . . able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. . . is it a bird? (Crowd: ‘No!’). . . is it a plane? (Crowd: ‘No!’). . . is it the Big Man? (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . Clarence Clemons on the saxophone....”

(…) THANK YOU! . . . CLEVELAND! . . .”

“Thank you all for coming down to the show. . . Thank you very much. . . I know about you guys waiting out in line for a long time to get tickets and stuff … and I want to let you know it’s appreciated. . . here’s to Cleveland. . . “
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, intro to ‘Born To Run’: **

“Wait, ain’t you guys tired yet? . . . let’s go, a-1, 2, 3, 4. . . 
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, ALL of ‘The Detroit Medley’:**

(…) Excuse me folks, excuse me. . . I just talked to … the hall manager … where he asked me to make … an emergency announcement … bring it down a little (band brings it down) … to make an emergency announcement here … if there’s anyone … if there’s anyone in the house tonight … that has a weak heart … or a weak stomach … of a mother in Bayonne, New Jersey … would you please, during the next section of this song … step out into the lobby, as it might be dangerous to your health (Crowd cheers). . . I see nobody moving. . . I warned you. . . don’t sue me! . . . it ain’t so bad. . . I guess you can fight(?) when me and The Big Man … do this. . . you might get off … with just light injuries … and a short trip … to the emergency room … when me and The Big Man … do this. . . (band stops). . . well, if the _____ _____ _____, stick around … when you do what’s next … you better take out some insurance … (band up and the Dance Move ensues). . . Are you ready? . . . Are you ready? . . . Are you ready? . . . Are you ready? . . . Are you ready? . . . Ready? … Ready? … Ready? … ”

“_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ . . . Are you ready for the Tenth? . . . a-1, 2, 3, 4. ..
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, intro & outro to ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze Out’: **

(…) . . . Tenth! . . .”

“Alright. . . You gotta ____ _____ _____ _____ right now. . . gimme some echo, Bobby. . . here we go. . . a-1, a-2, a-1, 2, 3, 4. . . . . . (band stops). . . . . . You think I can do this all night (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . You (?) all night? (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . I got things to do! (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . I’m a man of the world (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . I got places to go (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . people to see (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . (?) does it … . . . (band stops) … Somebody stop me! . . . before I hurt myself. . . (band stops). . . (long pause). . . Are you talking to me? (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . Are you talking to me? (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . Are you talking to me? (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . You better talk louder than that (Crowd: ‘Yeah!’). . . . . . I’m just a prisoner. . . of ROCK AND ROLL! . . . Tough luck [sounds like that]. . . 1, 2, 3, 4 … ” //Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi//
 * 31.12.78 Cleveland, ALL of ‘Quarter To Three’: **